Where the First Foundations Were Laid: Konnachem Fest 2025
Nathaniel Nunes
Four Centuries of Faith, Rooted in the Soil of Chicalim
Four hundred years is not a small number. It is not a line in a souvenir book. It is generations of baptisms, burials, harvests, tears, and thanksgiving.
This year’s Konnachem Fest carried that weight quietly but powerfully, marking 400 years since the foundation of the Old Church of St. Bartholomeu. Fittingly, the celebration did not begin inside walls, but under the open sky.
From Church Steps to Paddy Fields
The morning light gathered slowly around St. Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim as parishioners assembled for the procession. What unfolded was not merely ceremonial movement, but a pilgrimage through memory and land.
The procession made its way to a nearby field belonging to Hindu farmer Shashikant Usgaonkar and cultivated by the Chicalim Youth Farmers Club (CYFC). In that simple detail lay something deeply Goan: faith expressed without division, land shared across communities, and tradition sustained together.
Parish Priest Fr. Bolmax Pereira, joined by Fr. Francisco Xavier Pereira and South Goa MP Captain. Viriato Fernandes, who attended as a parishioner, walked with the faithful. The presence of leaders felt natural, not ceremonial. This was a village celebration at heart.
When Fr. Bolmax blessed the fields and cut the first paddy grain, the Konns, the act carried centuries within it. The sound of the sickle moving through the stalks was gentle, yet powerful in meaning. It was gratitude for rain, for labour, and for providence.
The Blessing of the Somudai
As the procession reached the ruins of the Old Church of St. Bartholomeu, a powerful expression of parish unity unfolded before the celebration of Mass.
Fr. Bolmax Pereira invited the leaders of the Somudai to come forward. Each leader carried a flag representing their respective ward. Every Somudai, named after a saint, reflects a distinct spiritual identity within the larger parish family. Different patron saints, yet one Church.
One by one, the leaders were blessed. The moment was simple but deeply symbolic. Beneath open skies and before centuries-old stones, the parish affirmed that the same faith planted 400 years ago now lives on through its vibrant communities.
Restoring the Ruins, Renewing the Faith
The ruins of the Old Church of St. Bartholomeu stand weathered yet dignified, a silent witness to the beginnings of Christianity in Chicalim. For generations, the site remained a place of memory, but not of active worship.
In preparation for this historic 400-year jubilee, a new protective structure was thoughtfully built around the ruins, allowing devotees to gather, participate in liturgical celebrations, and preserve the sanctity of the site for future generations.
The structure was formally inaugurated by Fr. Francisco Xavier Pereira, marking not merely the opening of a shelter, but the reopening of a sacred space long dormant.
Soon after, another milestone followed.
A new statue of Saint Bartholomew was permanently installed at the site, restoring a visible sign of devotion to its original spiritual home.
Then came the moment that sealed the morning in history. For the first time in 278 years, public Mass was celebrated at the ruins.
There were no towering walls, no ornate interiors, only sky above and foundations beneath. Yet in that sacred setting, the Eucharist bridged centuries. What began here 400 years ago was not merely remembered; it was renewed.
A Living Heritage
The 400-year milestone was not merely commemorated; it was experienced.
From the shared generosity of the field’s owner, to the youth who cultivate the land, to the parish leadership guiding the liturgy, the day revealed the quiet strength of Chicalim’s faith.
This is a parish where belief walks through fields, gathers at ruins, and renews itself across generations.
As the morning concluded with tea and simple refreshments shared among all participants, the gathering felt intimate and deeply rooted. It was less an event and more a continuation of an unbroken story.
Four centuries ago, foundations were laid.
This year, remembrance was renewed.
The stones are old.
The faith remains alive.
